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'Grown men and women crying' | Ciara Grant on Shels' incredible WNL win

It was quite a weekend for Ciara Grant and her Shelbourne teammates - after a truly dramatic final day title win in the Women's National League on Saturday night.



'Grown men and women crying' |...
Soccer

'Grown men and women crying' | Ciara Grant on Shels' incredible WNL win

An extraordinary final day in the Women's National League title race saw Shelbourne crowned as champions, and Shels' star Ciara Grant says it was a moment to saviour.

Peamount, who have won the title in the last two seasons, looked to be well on their way to another domestic triumph on Saturday night, going two goals up at Greenogue after just 20 minutes against Galway.

However, an incredible 5-2 comeback win by Galway, coupled with Shelbourne's 3-2 win over Wexford Youths, proved to be the difference, and Noel King's charges secured the title by a solitary point.

Shels' star Ciara Grant joined Ger and Eoin on OTB AM this morning, and she did her best to describe the jubilant scenes after the match.

"Nobody had planned for us to win internally. I had nothing with me, my brother and his girlfriend had come up to surprise me for the day. They literally arrived at around 11 o'clock, we headed out to Howth for lunch, watched Ireland beat New Zealand and then just headed to the game.

"I had said we'd get a takeaway and chill out for the night when it all was over and the plans quickly changed as the game evolved!

"It meant so much to everyone. There were grown men crying, women... there was just so much happening afterwards. It was just even the drama of it, somebody's got that trophy in a taxi heading over to Shels, but then what happened if Wexford scored a last-minute [equaliser]?

"We were on the pitch until after half ten with family and friends and we all just went back to Tolka and had a night's craic. Pretty much Noel King's whole family were there, I was delighted to have some family up. Spirits were so high - it's incredible."

County Donegal native Grant and her Shels' teammates are now getting set for a repeat of last weekend's league game when they take on Wexford in the FAI Women's Cup final on Sunday.

The 28-year-old says that it's going to be a totally different challenge compared to Saturday just gone.

"This whole week everybody is in good form - training last night everyone was just buzzing. The Cup final now is no longer the be-all and end-all of the season, it's kind of like an added bonus.

"Confidence is high, we're all injury-free, everybody is back available so everybody's just looking forward to the week.

"We know on Sunday it's going to be a completely different game. Wexford didn't show up on Saturday, even though they started to gain a bit of momentum in the last 20 minutes.

"We know how dangerous Wexford can be, we know the quality of their players and just how much a team they are together. Sunday is going to be a completely different ballgame - nerves, the whole occasion, Tallaght Stadium, crowds.

"Everyone knows anything can happen in a Cup game, but we're just going to go out with the same preparation as before and just prove why we are league champions, and hopefully Cup champions by the end of the week."

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Ciara Grant Otb Am Peamount Peamount United Shelbourne Shels Vera Pauw WNL Women's National League